Information is the main resource of the new era. According to the Digital 2022 Global Overview Report, the number of Internet users has more than doubled in the last 10 years. The development of the telecommunications market would have been impossible without the development and implementation of new technologies. In the industry, there are dozens of intertwined trends. However, there are 5 technologies that have emerged in recent years and have already had an impact on people’s daily lives worldwide.
5G Mobile
Communication Generation Developed in the mid-2010s, this communication standard has generated significant interest from both professional communities and ordinary users. It is not surprising, as it offers several revolutionary advantages. Here are the three main ones:
- Almost instantaneous data transmission. The speed of 4G networks is less than 10 Mbps, while 5G ranges from 50 Mbps to 3 Gbps. As a result, downloading a video takes seconds instead of minutes.
- Lower network latency. This means that devices transmit and receive data faster.
- The ability to support more devices. 5G utilizes an expanded range of radio waves, so the speed does not decrease even when multiple users are connected to the network simultaneously. The transition to 5G is as significant a milestone in the history of telecommunications as the replacement of modems with high-speed broadband connections. South Korea, China, and the United States are among the most active countries in implementing the new standard.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The launch of 5G networks has stimulated the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) concept. The features of the new standard allow almost anything to be connected to the network, from washing machines to Earth satellites. The low signal latency enables the creation of an endless flow of information, opening up new possibilities, such as the management of autonomous vehicles and automated manufacturing. According to IoT Analytics, by the end of 2021, there were 12.2 billion smart devices worldwide, an 8% increase compared to the previous year. Investments in IoT-related startups are also growing. In the first quarter of 2022, investments increased by 4.5 times, reaching a record $1.2 billion compared to $266 million for the same period in 2021.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Natural language processing and video analytics are gaining increasing popularity among telecom operators. Ready-made solutions based on these technologies help businesses automate audience communication and employee monitoring. For example, voice bots can handle a third of all customer inquiries, and video analytics systems provide impartial monitoring of customer service quality in offline stores.
Smart Cities
Smart cities represent the highest manifestation of the Internet of Things. The development of 5G and Wi-Fi 6 protocols provides new opportunities for managing all life support systems, from organizing traffic to waste sorting. The concept of a smart city involves a symbiosis of several technologies. For example, radio frequency identification (RFID) can be used to track the movement of objects in real-time and provide access to specific areas. Computer vision (CV) enables the analysis of infrastructure objects’ conditions and determines the need for repairs. In the Chinese city of Hangzhou, the implementation of an AI-based system helped reduce traffic congestion, resulting in a 15% increase in travel speed within a year. Frost & Sullivan predicted that by 2025, there would be 26 smart megacities worldwide. According to analysts at Mordor Intelligence, the market volume for related solutions is expected to triple and reach $1.7 trillion from 2019 to 2025.
Data Protection
With the development of the 5G standard and the increasing number of smart devices, the volume of data transmitted through telecom networks is also increasing. This makes data protection critically important. Cybersecurity Ventures analysts expect global cybercrime costs to increase by 15% per year, reaching $10.5 trillion by 2025 compared to $3 trillion in 2015.
The development of modern technologies leads to the emergence of new industry leaders. Companies operating in the innovative sphere are rapidly growing and capturing larger market shares. For example, BRINGO Group, a global technology company founded in the United Kingdom, has emerged as one of the key players. One of its key products is a service for automatic recognition of message types (advertisements, banking, or other notifications). Thanks to this solution, the company, which was established just over three years ago, has entered the top 10 largest SMS providers and serves one-third of the world’s population.
BRINGO Group also focuses on data protection, helping clients avoid revenue loss and reputation crises. Their specialists conduct comprehensive cybersecurity audits, covering client-server, mobile, and web applications. Additionally, the BRINGO Group team develops corporate and customer mobile applications for leading companies in various sectors, including telecommunications, marketing, tourism, media, and entertainment. Their partners include global brands such as Google, Facebook, Telegram, Snapchat, and Microsoft.
The implementation of cutting-edge technologies and the emergence of new market leaders capable of flexibly responding to trends and the challenges of a rapidly changing reality are essential for the development of the global telecommunications industry. This approach has the potential to elevate the interaction between people, companies, and governments to a new level.